klonopin for stage fright?

[rake]

i hope i'm posting this in the right place.

i'm interested in finding the most suitable substance for helping to alleviate stage fright. as a young musician i always suffered from it and it occasionally affected my playing, and certainly took a lot of the fun out of being a musician.

i recently got back in the game and find myself with a high profile first gig and it's coming up soon. i'm as confident as i can be about the music and my set but still have those jitters pretty bad already.

a friend suggested klonopin and offered to give me one (not sure of dosage). obviously i would want a low dose, just enough to take the edge off. i might even "rehearse" it. take a small amount a few nights before the show and go through my set to see if it affects my playing at all.

for the future, are there better substances than klonopin? like maybe another benzo? have there been studies on which ones affect motor control more than others. my doctor prescribes me valium for occasional anxiety but i'm out of that right now.

any knowledge or experiences to share, i would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Mugz]

In this situation I would recommend against any sort of benzo to help you out. I would jus try and face my fears and as you do more and more gigs the stagefright will get better, a lot of the successful musicians out there now all suffered from stage fright when they started out.

If you turn to benzos for this problem then it will be likely that you will turn to benzos for every gig, and then what happens if you get a gig but haven't got any benzos to hand? The stage fright will be even worse.

You could try going for a run just before the gig as exercise does help alleviate anxiety.

 

[laCster]

look into beta-blockers. they dont help with the mental aspects, only the physical aspects of anxiety such as sweating, shakey voice, trembles, nausea, ect...

but yes, klonopin is rather well at treating SAD. however, it is a bit sedating so i'm not sure if that would be my DOC while performing. i would add in some adderall, but that's just me.

if you cant get any addy, then try getting some lyrica. it is the second, if not first most effective medicine for SAD

 

[ugly]

I'd try the kpins, dude. Not the first night on the stage for fucks sake. But start taking half of one and practice for an hour. Figure it out. Not too much, not too slim, but if you successfully dial in the right amount for you, your stage fright troubles will dissipate.

 

[sekio]

Pharmaceutical band aids are not a solution to stage fright.

I reccomend beta blockers as benzodiazepines are very habit-forming.

 

[rake]

thanks for the replies. will take all into consideration. indeed, i am dealing with many unknowns and that's part of why it's so bad this time. after this gig i will know so much more of what to expect and the nerves will be somewhat less.

gonna look into beta blockers.

i lurk here a lot and really appreciate this site so much. blessings!

 

[effie]

Beta blockers should def help with the physical symptoms without clouding your mind at all. I know how tempting it is to take a benzo before a scary event, but as others say, you'll come to reply on it where as you will get over your stage fright with experience

I'd try a beta blocker out beforehand; some people can feel dizzy/lightheaded or spaced with them so you want to make sure you don't have a bad reaction. Shouldn't affect motor skills though as I was recommended them for my driving test!

Deep slow breathing really does work wonders; do you know any relaxation techniques?

I also find rescue remedy really helps but I am in England, don't know if its a worldwide thing!

If you insist on taking benzos, take a very low dose, trial it out beforehand as you said, and maybe consider a shorter acting one than clonazepam.. I also personally found that it made me really sluggish. Try without if you can, and good luck!

 

[ColtDan]

In this situation I would recommend against any sort of benzo to help you out. I would jus try and face my fears and as you do more and more gigs the stagefright will get better, a lot of the successful musicians out there now all suffered from stage fright when they started out.

If you turn to benzos for this problem then it will be likely that you will turn to benzos for every gig, and then what happens if you get a gig but haven't got any benzos to hand? The stage fright will be even worse.

You could try going for a run just before the gig as exercise does help alleviate anxiety.

this.

you dont want a benzo addiction... man up and face the fear. it will make you a better person

 

[Whipped Dream]

this.

you dont want a benzo addiction... man up and face the fear. it will make you a better person

snip


My take is go ahead and try the Kpin, but be advised that these substances are quite addicting, and like Mugz said eventually you're gonna bump up against a situation where you have no meds so don't make them a crutch. If they work maybe save them for those really big events.